


Under the Skin

by Morgyn Leri (morgynleri)



Series: Requiem Court [6]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Future, GFY, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-29
Updated: 2014-04-29
Packaged: 2018-01-21 05:33:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1539506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgynleri/pseuds/Morgyn%20Leri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Never before has she set foot in the home that her people had long ago lost, and now she's here wrapped in the flesh of a Man - a woman, but still, not a proper khuzdinh as she should have been to walk those hallowed halls.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under the Skin

It's still there, after all the centuries and Ages that have passed, still reflecting truth to the viewer (though she thinks sometimes that she should not see herself reflected, that none of them should save Durin himself). Dis watches the Kheled-zâram with a dark feeling that she's had trouble shaking since she found herself in Moria, in Khazaddûm, for the first time. Never before has she set foot in the home that her people had long ago lost, and now she's here wrapped in the flesh of a Man - a woman, but still, not a proper khuzdinh as she should have been to walk those hallowed halls, thick with dust and neglect, but still strong and beautiful for it.

Now, she stays out of those halls as best she can, unwilling to sully the stone with this strange body that isn't what it should be. She's ink and piercings she would have perhaps passed over if her body were right, but she doesn't have the right body, so she'll do whatever she can to make it as right as possible. Pushing herself to make herself something of what she was before, even though some of those around her worry for her because of it.

Looking down into the dark waters, she studies the strange, fine-boned face she doesn't really expect, despite knowing she's worn it for nearly four decades of life, much of it utterly unaware of the wrongness of it. The nose is too narrow, the ears too small and delicate. There is no beard to comb and braid, no thick, long hair to luxuriate in. Thin, and almost fragile, she thinks. Light as a bird, though she's heard Elros say she is the sturdiest woman he's yet met.

He tries, Elros does, with her, and with the others, but there are times when none of them are quite sure they're right. At least here they don't have to worry about being present in the wrong bodies, when all around them, everyone is. Aragorn still hasn't quite wrapped his mind around being in a female body, and Arwen isn't any better at coping with her beloved being the same body-type as herself.

Dis shakes her head, pulling away from the deep pool, moving back toward the camp where they are sheltered by the great stair into the mountains where no one dares go. No one dares to challenge the mountains and their fury, and so at least Khazaddûm is safe without they having a need to strike down those who would harm them.


End file.
